james rhee

Founder, Red Helicopter
John H. Johnson Chair and Professor of Entrepreneurship, Howard University
Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management
Executive-in-Residence and Strategic Advisor, MIT Leadership Center
Former Executive Chairman and CEO, Ashley Stewart

James Rhee is an acclaimed impact investor, CEO, leader, and educator. He transforms and unites people, brands and organizations by identifying and unleashing purpose with mathematical and creative systems. As chairman, first-time CEO and investor, he reinvented Ashley Stewart, a brand serving and employing predominantly Black women, proving the power of diverse ecosystems and serving as a blueprint for multi-stakeholder capitalism. His investment platform, FirePine Group, has stewarded the capital of some of the world’s most sophisticated investors to drive impact. His most current venture, Red Helicopter, drives change at the intersection of education, money, and mind. James is the John H. Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship at Howard University, where he also serves as Senior Advisor to the newly launched Center for Women, Gender Studies, and Global Studies. He is also a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and executive-in-residence at the MIT Leadership Center. He earned his AB with honors from Harvard College and his JD with honors from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of Harvard Law Review.